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Engadget News |
- Netflix patch arrives for rooted Asus Transformers, it's okay to be happy
- Microsoft reveals Droid-themed Xbox 360 bundle for Star Wars Kinect
- Poll: Did you download Mac OS X Lion (10.7)?
- Apple outpaces Nokia in global smartphone shipments
- Eliza is a doe-eyed, graceful dancing machine, lacks maniacal quality on the floor (video)
- Dell quietly pulls the Streak to perform an update, might bring it back next month?
- Motorola Droid 3 review
- Verizon flips the switch on 28 new LTE markets, Louisville Sluggers now available with 4G
- AT&T Nexus S coming to Best Buy July 24th, available for $100 with contract
- Researchers use graphene to draw energy from flowing water, self-powered micro-robots to follow?
- Samsung's ultralight N100 delivers Atom-powered MeeGo to the Indian masses
- Acer buys iGware, makes a $320 million bet on the cloud
- Mystery Lenovo Tablet tries to sneak through the FCC, 7-inch IdeaPad on the way?
- AT&T 'confident' T-Mobile deal to close in Q1 2012
- Peek calls own internet-only devices 'collector's items,' heads to India with the cloud
- Sony's A77 continues to tease, brings A65 and NEX-7 along for the ride
- SwiftKey X keyboard app is free today on Amazon, be swift or pay $3.99
- Nokia Q2 2011: 'clearly disappointing' results as challenges prove 'greater than expected'
- Space Shuttle Atlantis touches down in Florida, won't be going back up again
- Rogers listens, bumps data caps, lets you stream a few extra Netflix movies a month
- Dell Venue Pro firmware update silences WiFi woes (update: delayed)
- Google 'winding down' Labs, likely due to meddling older sister
- Panasonic reveals Lumix FZ47 superzoom, lets you shoot 1080i video with full manual control
- Nissan expands Leaf's US availability, makes seat warmers standard
- Verizon's Xperia Play now on sale for $100, Crash Bandicoot spins in celebration
- GE's new holographic storage burns 500GB discs at the speed of a Blu-ray
- US federal government to close 800 data centers, walk into the cloud
- MIT's Backtalk project / art exhibit traces the unseen life of discarded gadgets
- Western Digital now shipping 2.5-inch 1TB Scorpio Blue HDD in standard height
- Hitachi announces high-res 4.5-inch IPS display for smartphones with improved glasses-free 3D
- Netflix app on Android updated to work on 24 models including Galaxy S, Droid 3 (update: tablets too!)
- Apple OS X Lion (10.7) review
- Intel delivers record earnings yet again in Q2 -- let the boardroom bragging begin
- Word cloud hack connects to your TV, closed captioning provided by Arduino (video)
- Galaxy S II expected to land in the US next month, someday, somewhere
- Mad Catz gears up for Gears of War with branded audio gear... gear.
- Olivetti's Olipad 110 and 70 tablets stop by Brazil, say ciao (video)
| Netflix patch arrives for rooted Asus Transformers, it's okay to be happy Posted: 21 Jul 2011 11:41 AM PDT  [Thanks everyone who sent this in] |
| Microsoft reveals Droid-themed Xbox 360 bundle for Star Wars Kinect Posted: 21 Jul 2011 11:23 AM PDT  Yes, that's an R2-D2-themed Xbox 360 and accompanying gold C-3PO controller, which are both part of a new Star Wars Kinect bundle that Microsoft officially announced at Comic-Con today. Also included in the bundle is a matching white Kinect sensor, as well as a 320GB hard drive, and both the Star Wars Kinect and Kinect Adventures games -- all for $449. Did we mention it also has some custom console sounds? Look for it to land in the fall, with pre-orders starting today. Check out the gallery below for a closer look. |
| Poll: Did you download Mac OS X Lion (10.7)? Posted: 21 Jul 2011 11:05 AM PDT  Apple confirmed Lion's big day during the company's Q3 earnings call this week, and Mac OS 10.7 hit the App Store right on schedule yesterday morning, allowing us to give Snow Leopard the boot and make room for the king of the jungle. We've already installed Lion on a half-dozen of our own systems, testing the new operating system with a variety of configurations for our review. But we want to know about your experience. Did you pull an all-nighter on Tuesday, backing up files, reformatting drives, and updating to 10.6.8? Are you still rockin' dial-up and waiting for the $69 flash drive version to ship next month? Or perhaps you're a PC user, holding out for Windows 8? Let us know in the poll below, and feel free to expand on your decision in the comments as well. |
| Apple outpaces Nokia in global smartphone shipments Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:44 AM PDT Today's "clearly disappointing" news from Nokia just got even more clear in its disappointment. As touched on during an earnings call this morning, the Finnish handset manufacturer's smartphone shipments took a 34 percent dip down from the same quarter last year, to 16.7 million units -- that's markedly fewer than the 20.3 million that Apple shipped during that same time period, as announced in its far more celebratory earnings report. Despite his stated disappointment, however, Nokia chief Stephen Elop insists that the company is on the right track, making "better than expected progress." Really, it's important in times like these for a company to focus on the more positive side of things. |
| Eliza is a doe-eyed, graceful dancing machine, lacks maniacal quality on the floor (video) Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:07 AM PDT  [Thanks, Robotbling] |
| Dell quietly pulls the Streak to perform an update, might bring it back next month? Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:46 AM PDT  What Dell can give, it can taketh away. That's the story with the Streak, which has quietly vanished from retail as well as the outfit's online storefront. We first got wind of this when a tipster wrote in to say he had spoken to a company employee, who said the 5-inch Android tablet / phone had been discontinued. When we reached out to Dell's PR team to see what's up, we got the pat "Dell does not comment on rumors, speculation, or unannounced products." So then we called customer service, pretending to order one, and that's when things got interesting. The rep told us the Streak hasn't, in fact, been end-of-life'd; it's just been pulled from shelves while it receives an update. The gentleman couldn't say how severe the issue is, though he insists it has zilch to do with Android. Whatever it is, Dell isn't even accepting orders for the 5-inch Streak at the moment. If all goes according to plan, though, we're told it should go back on sale in early August. [Thanks, Venkata] |
| Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT  Are these adjustments enough to save the series? The original Droid launched with much fanfare, a device that steered Motorola back onto the path of success from its post-RAZR Hades. It had a refreshing gold-laden design that oozed elegance, top-of-the-line specs for its time, and was the pioneer that helped usher Google's mobile OS into a new era. Each new iteration has received less attention than the one before, however, and the Droid 3 experienced such a quiet launch that we blinked and almost missed it. No matter, though -- as long as the phone can speak for itself, it doesn't need the confetti to accompany it. But is the third time another charm for the Droid? Or will it be buried by other heavyweights like the Droid Bionic or Samsung Galaxy S II Function? Join us after the break to find out. HardwareAs mentioned earlier, the Droid 3 is a spitting image of its predecessors: the same large, boxy body, the lower lip extending out from the rest of the phone, as well as that full QWERTY keyboard. But upon closer inspection we found more than a few cosmetic differences. Dimensionally, the latest rendition may be the thinnest of the bunch at just a hair under 13mm (compared to 14mm and 13.7mm for the first two Droids, respectively), but it's also the largest. While the first two Droid generations had mid-sized 3.7-inch (480 x 854) LCD displays, this one steps up to a gorgeous 4-inch qHD screen. The bezels on the Droid 3 are thicker and larger on all sides, which unfortunately adds unnecessary heft. Consequently, the device is also the heaviest of the series, weighing in at 6.49 ounces (184g) compared to 5.96 ounces and 6.0 ounces. As the Droids have always been a rather gravity-loving group, an extra half ounce amounts to a relatively minor add-on. Being as relatively heavy as it is, you may be tempted to think this is a rock-solid phone with no durability concerns at all -- and you'd be right. Motorola fashioned its latest device out of polished metal on the sides and rubberized plastic on the back to make for a more comfortable, firm grip. The screen's also covered with Gorilla Glass for scratch protection. All told, that added depth makes the Droid 3 easier to grasp, though the larger size regrettably makes it annoying to hold onto for long periods of time.  A defining feature of the three Droids is the lower lip that protrudes from the rest of the phone. This cosmetic landmark is a result of making the bottom half of the handset -- the keyboard half -- just a little longer than the top half. Not only does this contribute to the phone's elegant look and feel, it also makes room for a larger keyboard. Sadly, there isn't much else about the Droid 3 that exudes grace or luxury; gone are the gold accents adorning the original, as well as the chrome detailing and light blue tint on the second. What we are left with otherwise is a plain boxy phone with the standard keys. There's nothing new or innovative here. Apart from that, the newest Droid has made some layout tweaks over the last version. It adds an HDMI port next to the microUSB charger on the left side, swaps the power button and 3.5mm headphone jack up top, and has a slightly retooled volume rocker on the right side. On the back we see a pop-off battery cover (which, by the way, can be substituted for an inductive wireless charging cover, if you prefer), 8 MP shooter with LED flash, and a speaker grill and mic hanging out near the bottom.  Underneath the hood lies a SIM card matching the Droid 3's international roaming capabilities, as well as a slot for the microSD. Alas, the phone doesn't come with a memory card, though Motorola at least provides us with 16GB of internal storage -- enough to hold a fair number of apps and multimedia files. If this isn't enough, the handset supports an additional 32GB of external storage, bringing the total of 48GB. This is an obvious improvement over the 8GB that came standard with the last-gen Droid 2. Lastly, there are a few significant improvements in the internal hardware department. The Droid 3 houses a 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP4430 processor, 512MB RAM, and a Having a full QWERTY device capable of working on Verizon's 4G network could potentially become a large success, given the lack of variety we've seen in Big Red's lineup thus far. KeyboardSpeaking of improvements, the keyboard is the area Motorola appeared to focus on the most. The Droid 2's board, while better than the original by a country mile, still left plenty of room for improvement. Interestingly, the current model steps up by splitting the difference between those two keyboards. For instance, the keys aren't as bouncy or rubbery, but they also aren't flat. It's actually the perfect balance of give and clickiness -- the keys feel natural to type on, and we didn't experience any learning curve, making it a decided improvement over the Droid 2. The sliding mechanism's a bit stiff, though usable; if given the choice we'd rather have it err on the side of solid as opposed to flimsy. We also applaud HelloMoto for including a row of dedicated number keys. It's a major frustration for us when companies omit this from QWERTY keyboards, since it throws off our "typing groove" -- having to stop mid-sentence to hunt down the ALT or Fn keys and manually enter each number really breaks up the flow.  Motorola also seemed to learn its lesson from the debacle that was the original Droid's direction pad, as it was retooled for the second-gen devices and remains in tact this time around. The d-pad is much smaller and relegated to the lower right corner of the keyboard, which leaves enough room to make every individual key larger and easier to press. The keys are also backlit, which makes it a great deal easier to text and email at night or in a darkened room. This is infinitely better than being forced to use the onscreen keyboard in order to see what we're writing. With that said, however, the virtual version of the 'board is still a breeze to use. On top of the default Moto keyboard, the Droid 3 comes with Swype pre-installed as an option. We understand that many people have love-hate relationships with Swype, and much of it depends on its accuracy; on this device, however, we felt it handled our need for typing speed well, with few incorrect guesses. CameraThe Droid 3's camera sounds great, right? An 8 megapixel shooter with 1080p video capture shouldn't be anything to bicker about on a high-end smartphone. Problem is, it's not all about megapixel count -- and it doesn't work in Moto's favor here. It was disappointing to find that the dedicated camera button, proudly emblazed on the right side of both previous Droids, has mysteriously disappeared -- much like with the Droid X2. We understand that a dedicated camera button might not work for skinnier handsets, but there's more than enough heft on the Droid 3 to allow a spot for it. Worse still, there was also no ability to manually adjust contrast or exposure to our own liking. We also encountered issues with the camera software itself. On more than one occasion the viewfinder froze. Usually, the bug would resolve itself as soon as we switched over to video mode and back again. We even had some problems getting the camera app to initialize, which we resolved by restarting the phone. More often than not, the camera would take its sweet time focusing -- especially in low light. As a result, we weren't able to catch a whol lot of impromptu moments. Once we were able to make it through a full photo session using the camera, the images turned out to be mediocre -- they definitely weren't up on par with comparable smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S II. Colors were slightly washed out in bright daylight and ill-defined under overcast conditions, with objects appearing shadowy in low light. In testing the video, we found that movements generally appear smooth. At times, however, it felt like the camcorder had a difficult time keeping up with us. Taking video of stationary objects was better, though it wouldn't remain focused indoors or in low-light -- anytime we breathed, let alone moved, the lens needed to re-focus. On occasion we noticed brief periods (read: less than half a second) in which certain parts of the viewfinder would go dark. SoftwareThere is much rejoicing in the recent disappearance of the MotoBlur name, and we were incredibly relieved to boot up the Droid 3 and not be required to sign in or register for Motorola's UI experience. Rather, the currently-nameless user interface on the Droid 3 was a breath of fresh air, though it, too, has some cons. The Droid 3 received a much-needed boost to Android 2.3, a feat that the others haven't yet accomplished (officially, anyways). Motorola chose to throw in a few stock Gingerbread elements, but it's easy to spot a good deal of customization scattered layered on top of the OS. Here, you navigate the app tray by swiping left or right, and you have the option of filtering apps by groups (a long-press of an app results in the choice of sending it to the home screen or attaching it to one of those groups). Motorola also threw in its own keyboard and dialpad, but opted for the stock music player and browser. Other than the app tray, most shortcuts remained the same, with one refreshing exception. We discovered that pressing the home button twice from the main screen panel would take us directly to an app of our choice. We were able to change it to one of several different apps just by finding the option in the settings menu. We were greeted by the same bloatware we've come to expect with any Android device on Verizon's networks: the usual VCAST suite, as well as Let's Golf 2 (did anyone ever play the first one?), MOTOPRINT, GoToMeeting, QuickOffice, NFL Mobile, Slacker, and some proprietary social networking apps. As always, there's no way to get rid of these apps, so you just have to get to work hiding them from your usual viewing routine by grouping them together and using your own customized groups as a default. PerformanceAs far as performance goes, the Droid 3 is full of hits and misses. For a dual-core CPU, it performed without any lagging, per se. However, we grew impatient of the countless animations Motorola threw into its UI, each one taking at least two to three seconds to complete before moving on to the requested task. Examples include lengthy in-and-out transitions between menus, extra time to access shortcuts (such as the home key long-press and double-press), and opening up programs like the phone and Market. We know, we know, this sounds incredibly picky, but the fact is when using the phone throughout the day, 2-3 seconds for each transition eats up a lot of unnecessary time. The phone's hardware still functions admirably, but the UI effects are somewhat frustrating. Update: the animations are turned on by default; fortunately, the phone has a setting in which the animations can be turned off, which does trim down the transition time. In our benchmarking tests, Quadrant scored 2324; Linpack processed at 44.076 MFLOPS (single-thread) and 66.378 MFLOPS (multi-thread). Nenamark 1 came back at 46.4fps, and Neocore offered a whopping speed of 58.2fps. Sunspider results were just a smidge over 4000ms (4091, to be exact). There was just one matter of curiosity that we couldn't quite explain: whenever we attempted to run the Nenamark 2 benchmark on the Droid 3, it froze. Every. Single. Time. Restarts, master resets, and app re-installs weren't able to resolve it. We can't draw any conclusions on this, since everything else ran perfectly fine, but we're definitely stumped. The Droid 3 comes with a Wrap-Up Trying to live up to a good name is a heavy responsibility to take upon ourselves, and smartphones aren't any better off, either. Such is the burden of the Droid 3, being slapped with the duty of impressing the masses to the same degree as its original namesake. Sadly, it feels as though the latest rendition of this tune is more of a swan song. It's had a good run, but the Droid series seems to be fading. By no means are we suggesting this will be the last of its kind -- only Verizon and Motorola can truly answer that question -- but instead of seeing the same elegance, poise, or confidence exuded by the series' firstborn, we see yet another blocky phone. Looks aside, we enjoyed its dual-core performance, though it's somewhat inhibited by UI effects. Given the curious timing of the Droid 3's arrival paired with the Downy-soft launch, we're left to wonder what happened to it. Was it pushed out ahead of its pre-arranged time, its marketing dollars set aside for a much more hype-worthy Motorola Droid Bionic or Samsung Function launch? The Droid 3, with its top-notch keyboard and high-end specs (save for its 3G radio), is a phone we wouldn't mind using on a regular basis, but we're sensing something grander lurking just beyond the horizon. |
| Verizon flips the switch on 28 new LTE markets, Louisville Sluggers now available with 4G Posted: 21 Jul 2011 08:42 AM PDT  New Markets:
On Thursday, Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE Network Will Be Available In More Than 100 Markets Wireless Leader Turns On 28 Additional 4G LTE Markets and Expands Its 4G LTE Network in Eight Cities On July 21 07/18/2011 BASKING RIDGE, NJ - Verizon Wireless is turning on the world's most advanced wireless network in 28 additional markets this week, bringing the blazingly fast speed of 4G LTE to a total of 102 cities across the country. Today, consumers and businesses can choose from nine 4G devices – including three smartphones, a tablet, two hotspots and three USB modems – to connect to the fastest 4G LTE network in the country. The new areas where Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network will be available Thursday include Decatur and Huntsville, Ala.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Lakeland and Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.; Augusta, Ga.; Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului-Wailuku and Lahaina, Hawaii; Carbondale, Ill.; Wichita, Kan.; Louisville, Ky.; Baton Rouge and Hammond, La.; Springfield, Mass.; Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Toledo, Ohio; Tulsa, Okla.; Portland, Ore.; Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Pa.; Charleston, S.C.; Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tenn.; Olympia and Tacoma, Wash; and Charleston, W.Va. The company is also expanding its 4G LTE network in Phoenix, Ariz.; Los Angeles and San Diego, Calif.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Northern New Jersey; Dallas-Ft. Worth and San Antonio, Texas; and Seattle, Wash. "On Thursday, when we light up 28 additional 4G LTE markets, we will offer consumers and businesses in 102 metropolitan areas the most advanced 4G wireless network on the planet, while continuing to offer the nation's most reliable 3G network coast to coast," said David Small, chief technical officer of Verizon Wireless. "In fewer than eight months we have introduced our 4G LTE network to more than 100 markets and we are continuing to aggressively expand our 4G LTE network; by the end of 2013 we plan to bring 4G LTE mobile broadband to our entire 3G coverage area." 4G LTE Devices Consumers can choose from several devices to access the blazingly fast speeds of the 4G LTE network, including the Revolution™ by LG, DROID Charge by Samsung and ThunderBolt™ by HTC smartphones, Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 10.1, as well as the MiFi® 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot and Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot. Laptop users can enjoy speeds up to 10 times faster than the company's 3G network with three USB modems from Novatel, Pantech and LG. In real-world, fully-loaded network environments, 4G LTE users should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink. When customers travel outside of a 4G coverage area, the devices automatically connect to Verizon Wireless' 3G network, enabling customers to stay connected from coast to coast. Verizon Wireless' 3G network is the most reliable network in the country, allowing customers with laptops and smartphones to download and use cool apps – from mobile social networking platforms to GPS-enabled maps – rapidly browse the Web to keep up with news, sports and stock quotes and stream must-see video and customized radio stations. Customers in 3G coverage areas today who purchase 4G devices will be able to take advantage of 4G speeds when the faster network becomes available in their areas. Reliability: In and Beyond Major Cities As the first wireless company in the world to broadly deploy game-changing 4G LTE technology, Verizon Wireless is committed to building its 4G network with the same performance and reliability for which it has long been recognized. Verizon Wireless' consistent focus on reliability is based on rigid engineering standards and a disciplined deployment approach year after year. The company's 700 MHz spectrum gives Verizon Wireless specific advantages with 4G, including a contiguous, nationwide network license. Verizon Wireless' vision also includes bringing its 4G LTE network beyond major cities. The company is working with rural communications companies to collaboratively build and operate a 4G network in those areas using the tower and backhaul assets of the rural company and Verizon Wireless' core 4G LTE equipment and premium 700 MHz spectrum. Already, 10 rural companies have announced their participation in the LTE in Rural America program and have leased spectrum covering, in total, more than 2.1 million people in rural communities and nearly 62,000 square miles. These companies include: Bluegrass Cellular, Cross Telephone, Pioneer Cellular, Cellcom, Thumb Cellular, Strata Networks, S&R Communications, Carolina West/Clear Stream, Custer Telephone Cooperative and Convergence Technologies. 4G LTE Markets as of July 21, 2011 While Verizon Wireless' 3G network covers more than 290 million Americans, the company's 4G LTE network will be available in 102 areas on Thursday, including: Decatur, Ala. Huntsville, Ala. Mobile, Ala. Montgomery, Ala. Phoenix, Ariz. Fresno, Calif. Los Angeles, Calif. Oakland, Calif. Sacramento, Calif. San Diego, Calif. San Francisco, Calif. San Jose, Calif. Colorado Springs, Colo. Denver, Colo. Greater Fairfield and New Haven, Conn. Hartford, Conn. Washington, D.C. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Gainesville, Fla. Jacksonville, Fla. Lakeland, Fla. Miami, Fla. Orlando, Fla. Pensacola, Fla. Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla. Tallahassee, Fla. Tampa, Fla. West Palm Beach, Fla. Athens, Ga. Atlanta, Ga. Augusta, Ga. Hilo, Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii Kahului-Wailuku, Hawaii Lahaina, Hawaii Boise, Idaho Carbondale, Ill. Chicago, Ill. Fort Wayne, Ind. Indianapolis, Ind. West Lafayette, Ind. Wichita, Kan. Louisville, Ky. Baton Rouge, La. Hammond, La. New Orleans, La. Baltimore, Md. Boston, Mass. Springfield, Mass. Detroit, Mich. Flint, Mich. Grand Rapids, Mich. Lansing, Mich. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. St. Louis, Mo. Las Vegas, Nev. New York, N.Y. Rochester, N.Y. Charlotte, N.C. Fayetteville-Lumberton, N.C. Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, N.C. Raleigh-Durham, N.C. Wilmington, N.C. Akron, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio Cleveland, Ohio Columbus, Ohio Dayton, Ohio Toledo, Ohio Oklahoma City, Okla. Tulsa, Okla. Portland, Ore. Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, Pa. Erie, Pa. Harrisburg, Pa. Philadelphia, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa. State College, Pa. Charleston, S.C. Columbia, S.C. Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C. Hilton Head, S.C. Sioux Falls, S.D. Chattanooga, Tenn. Clarksville, Tenn./Hopkinsville, Ky. Cleveland, Tenn. Knoxville, Tenn. Nashville, Tenn. Bryan-College Station, Texas Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas Houston, Texas San Antonio, Texas Temple-Killeen, Texas Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah Olympia, Wash. Seattle, Wash. Spokane, Wash. Tacoma, Wash. Charleston, W.Va. Madison, Wis. Milwaukee, Wis. Since 2007, when Verizon Wireless jump-started the global 4G LTE ecosystem with its selection of LTE for its 4G technology, the company has developed deep partnerships to spearhead a broad LTE ecosystem, with many being fostered at the LTE Innovation Center, which was officially opened in Waltham, Mass. on July 12, and the Application Innovation Center, slated to open in San Francisco later this year. Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for more information about Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network. |
| AT&T Nexus S coming to Best Buy July 24th, available for $100 with contract Posted: 21 Jul 2011 08:15 AM PDT  Samsung Mobile announceS availabilty of NEXUS S on AT&T Nexus S hits Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, as well as online on July 24; pre-sale begins July 21 DALLAS – July 21, 2011 – Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.1, today announced the upcoming availability of Nexus™ S from Google™ through Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores and www.BestBuy.com/Mobile. Optimized for AT&T's network, and powered by Android™ 2.3, Nexus S offers an experience with uniquely powerful technology. Nexus S is designed with Samsung's special Super AMOLED™ touch screen technology providing a premium viewing experience. Nexus S runs off of a 1 GHz Samsung application processor, producing rich 3D graphics, as well as faster download and upload times. With Nexus S AT&T customers will now have access to the latest and greatest Google applications and Android updates first. Nexus S will be available at Best Buy in stores on July 24 for $99.99 with a new, two-year activation. In addition, the phone is available for pre-sale in Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores and online at www.BestBuy.com/Mobile beginning July 21. Key Features: · Pure Google experience · 4" Super AMOLED™ Contour Display · 3G Network Speed and 1GHz Processor · Latest Google Mobile Apps · Full HTML Browser with Pinch to Zoom · Android 2.3 Gingerbread · Multitasking · Front-facing VGA camera · Rear-facing 5.0 Megapixel Camera and Camcorder · Voice-enabled Keyboard · Text-to-Speech · Wi-Fi · Bluetooth 2.1 · 3D Motion for Gaming · Business and Personal Email, Contacts, and Calendar Sync · Tethering · NFC Support · Internet Calling · Google Voice · Access to more than 250,000 apps in Android Market™ Specifications: • Frequency: GSM850/900/1800/1900 UMTS 850/1900/2100 • Dimensions: 123.9 x 63 x 10.88(mm) • Weight: 129 grams • Display: Super AMOLED™, 480 x 800 pixels • Battery: 1500mAh Li-ion standard battery • Talk Time: Up to 6.5 hours • Standby Time: Up to 450 hours |
| Researchers use graphene to draw energy from flowing water, self-powered micro-robots to follow? Posted: 21 Jul 2011 07:53 AM PDT  What can't graphene do? The wonder material's been at the heart of a stunning number of technological breakthroughs of late, and now it's adding oil exploration to its long list of achievements. A team of researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered that the flow of good old H2O over a sheet of graphene can generate enough electricity to power "tiny sensors" used in tracking down oil deposits. The gang, led by professor Nikhil Koratkar, was able to suck 85 nanowatts of power out of a slab of graphene measuring .03 by .015 millimeters. The little sensors the researchers speak of are pumped into potential oil wells via a stream of water, and are then put to work sniffing out hydrocarbons indicative of hidden pockets of oil and natural gas. Of course, that doesn't have a whole lot of practical application for your average gadget consumer, but Koraktar sees a future filled with tiny water-powered robots and micro-submarines -- we can dig it. |
| Samsung's ultralight N100 delivers Atom-powered MeeGo to the Indian masses Posted: 21 Jul 2011 07:28 AM PDT  [Thanks, Lau] |
| Acer buys iGware, makes a $320 million bet on the cloud Posted: 21 Jul 2011 06:52 AM PDT  |
| Mystery Lenovo Tablet tries to sneak through the FCC, 7-inch IdeaPad on the way? Posted: 21 Jul 2011 06:21 AM PDT  |
| AT&T 'confident' T-Mobile deal to close in Q1 2012 Posted: 21 Jul 2011 06:03 AM PDT  AT&T this morning offered up some earnings tidbits, and there's some good news in there for the iPhone-wielding mobile network. In its best-ever second quarter for smartphone sales, the company moved more than 5.6 million of the devices. The Former Mrs. Bell also revealed that it is "confident" that, much to the chagrin of Sprint and others, its planned purchase of T-Mobile is set to be completed by the first quarter of 2012. AT&T will be offering up more financial details in an earnings call later today, including, no doubt, the much-rumored plans for magenta carpeting in its global headquarters. |
| Peek calls own internet-only devices 'collector's items,' heads to India with the cloud Posted: 21 Jul 2011 05:41 AM PDT  |
| Sony's A77 continues to tease, brings A65 and NEX-7 along for the ride Posted: 21 Jul 2011 05:09 AM PDT   |
| SwiftKey X keyboard app is free today on Amazon, be swift or pay $3.99 Posted: 21 Jul 2011 04:36 AM PDT  |
| Nokia Q2 2011: 'clearly disappointing' results as challenges prove 'greater than expected' Posted: 21 Jul 2011 03:52 AM PDT  But, he can't deny the obvious, calling the results "clearly disappointing." Looking forward, Elop expects "competitive pressures to continue," but indicates the company has a "clear strategy" to improve things. He says those who have seen the company's early Windows Phone devices (really, who hasn't) are "very optimistic" about their potential and that they hope to launch this year with a "sequence of concentrated product launches. Very expensive launches, we hear. Update: Elop just wrapped up his portion of the company's earning call. A summary and a few choice quotes are available below. In the earnings call, Stephen Elop didn't rock the boat, more or less sticking to the company line by talking up the company's "immediate actions" to address the current state of the market, which he states has largely shifted from a "battle of devices to a war of ecosystems." The company's ecosystem of choice is now, of course, Windows Phone, and Elop says he has "increased confidence" that the first Nokia WP7 devices will ship this year. Yes, "increased confidence," meaning there's still room for a slip, and he reconfirmed that those phones won't ship in volume until 2012. Elop also talked about the company's intellectual property victories, most notably against Apple. There was "significant intellectual property income" this quarter and he re-iterated that "intellectual property is an important currency" these days, which leaves us wondering what company we'll next be digitally inserting into the salmon's mouth. |
| Space Shuttle Atlantis touches down in Florida, won't be going back up again Posted: 21 Jul 2011 03:00 AM PDT  For those interested, head over to NASA's website for the live coverage of this historic moment. |
| Rogers listens, bumps data caps, lets you stream a few extra Netflix movies a month Posted: 21 Jul 2011 02:04 AM PDT  |
| Dell Venue Pro firmware update silences WiFi woes (update: delayed) Posted: 21 Jul 2011 12:41 AM PDT  Update: It looks like someone spoke too soon. Lionel Menchaca's taken to Twitter yet again to update us on the state of this update, and it appears T-Mo Venue Pro users are going to have to wait until next week for the refresh -- it is, however, already available to unlocked devices. Considering how long we've waited, what's another week? Right? |
| Google 'winding down' Labs, likely due to meddling older sister Posted: 20 Jul 2011 11:09 PM PDT  Google Labs, that breeding ground for the wacky, sublime, and sometimes useful experiments that Mountain View's scooter-loving employees are so fond of, is getting ready to "wind down." The software giant announced today that the experimental forum for testing out potential features is being sidelined, in order for the company to focus on bigger picture ideas. Some of the more useful experimentation for properties like Calendar and Gmail will stick around, as will the Labs experiments that eventually made their way into the Android market. Google has promised to keep us all in the loop during the transition, so perhaps we can pick up a few secondhand test tubes for our own collections. |
| Panasonic reveals Lumix FZ47 superzoom, lets you shoot 1080i video with full manual control Posted: 20 Jul 2011 10:00 PM PDT  Sure, these days nearly all digital cameras can shoot video, but only a small handful give you the power to manually select aperture and shutter speed while doing so. The Lumix FZ47 is Panasonic's latest high-end point-and-shoot to sport this functionality, providing full control over both video and still photo capture with its Creative Control mode. The 12.1-megapixel superzoom can shoot 1080i HD at 30 fps, though it's notably lacking in the 1080p department. There's also a 3-inch LCD, 24x Leica zoom lens with a 25mm wide-angle focal length, and an option to shoot 3.5-megapixel stills while recording video. For photographers wiling to settle for a good deal less power, Panasonic also just announced its entry-level Lumix LS5, which includes a 14.1-megapixel sensor, optical image stabilization, and 720p video, all powered by a pair of AA batteries. The $400 FZ47 will ship next month, while the LS5 hits stores in November, with pricing yet to be announced. Jump past the break for the complete rundown from Panasonic. PANASONIC EXPANDS POPULAR FZ-SERIES SUPER-ZOOM LINE, WITH 24X OPTICAL ZOOM AND FULL HD-CAPABLE MODEL New Panasonic LUMIX FZ47 Digital Camera Packs a Powerful 24x Optical Zoom in High-Quality Leica Lens and Adds Creative Manual Control Options SECAUCUS, NJ (July 21, 2011) - Panasonic today introduces the LUMIX DMC-FZ47 digital camera, the newest addition to the company's super-zoom FZ-Series. The LUMIX FZ47 packs a powerful 24x optical zoom in a 25mm ultra-wide angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens, full-High Definition 1080i video-recording capabilities and new creative controls while shooting both still and video images. The high-quality Leica lens features Panasonic's Nano Surface Coating technology to help minimize light reflection that causes ghosting and flare. "The LUMIX FZ-Series is an extremely popular line for Panasonic and we expect this model to be another winner for users who not only want an impressive 24x optical zoom, but those that seek exceptional image quality, and thanks to the Leica lens and full HD video capabilities – the FZ47 delivers," said Darin Pepple, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "New to the FZ-Series are the improved AF speeds, 3D photo shooting and full 1080 HD video capabilities." Powered by a 12.1-megapixel Hi-Speed CCD sensor, the LUMIX FZ47 can produce the high-speed, large-capacity signal processing required for 1920 x 1080 full-HD video recording in the AVCHD format, and high-speed continuous shooting. The Venus Engine FHD processor helps create superb image quality in both photo and video recording, while also powering the Intelligent Resolution technology to perform the optimum signal processing. With Intelligent Resolution, the LUMIX FZ47's zoom can be extended 1.3x times to a 32x zoom length. The LUMIX FZ47 can take high-resolution consecutive shots at 3.7 fps in 12.1-megapixel full-resolution and maximum 10 fps at 3-megapixel recording. With Panasonic's Sonic Speed AF (Auto Focus), the LUMIX FZ47 has a quick start-up time, approximately 35% faster than the Panasonic LUMIZ FZ40, and also has an incredibly fast response time, helping to catch any fast-action photo opportunity. Additionally, the LUMIX FZ47 has fast and accurate AF Tracking. The LUMIX FZ47's 24x optical zoom optimized for video recording with a mechanism designed to minimize the noise of AF and zooming. The full-HD video capability is complemented with the high-quality stereo sound of Dolby® Digital Stereo Creator, to offer extremely realistic audio. And with a Wind Cut function, the LUMIX FZ47 reduces noise from background wind automatically. While shooting video, users can simultaneously take a 3.5-megapixel still photo. Differentiating itself from most digital cameras that record video, the LUMIX FZ47 is unique in that it features a Creative Video mode, which lets the user set the shutter speed and aperture manually. Changing the shutter speed brings special effects to videos, which is especially suitable for shooting a fast-moving subject. The ability to control the aperture is convenient when there are several subjects at different distances and it is desired to have each of them stand out. The creative mode is also available for still photos. For users seeking more creative freedom, the LUMIX FZ47 adds the new Creative Control and Photo Style that comes with a variety of options for artistic effect modes, including: Expressive, Retro, High Key, Sepia, High Dynamic, Miniature Effect, Film Grain and Pin Hole. Users can also adjust exposure compensation in the Creative Control mode. In addition, Photo Style is newly added to the LUMIX FZ47 to allow finer adjustment of contrast, sharpness, saturation and noise reduction in these settings: Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, Scenery and Portrait. On the other hand, for those users who would prefer not to change any settings, the LUMIX FZ47 also features Panasonic's iA (Intelligent Auto) mode. When in iA mode, the LUMIX FZ47 automatically chooses the best setting based on the shooting environment and features include: POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), Motion Deblur*, Face Recognition, Face Detection, AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control and Intelligent Scene Selector. Additionally, iA is available during video mode, and the following features engage automatically: POWER O.I.S., Face Detection, Intelligent Scene Selector and Intelligent Exposure. Other features of the Panasonic LUMIX FZ47 include: • 3D Photo Mode: Take 3D still photos** that can be played back on MPO-compatible 3D equipment, such as a Panasonic VIERA 3D HDTV • 3.0" Intelligent LCD: Features a 460,000-dot high resolution • Social Media Connection: The LUMIX FZ47 makes it extremely easy to share photos via Facebook and videos via YouTube. As soon as the camera is connected to the computer it will prompt the user with an easy-to-follow menu asking if they want to share the images – no software needed The Panasonic LUMIX FZ47 will be available in black for a suggested retail price of $399.99, starting in August 2011. For more information on Panasonic LUMIX digital cameras, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix. PANASONIC ANNOUNCES EASY-TO-USE DIGITAL CAMERA WITH 26MM WIDE-ANGLE F2.8 LENS, IDEAL FOR LOW-LIGHT SHOOTING The LUMIX LS5 Shoots 720 HD Video and Runs on AA Batteries SECAUCUS, NJ (July 21, 2011) – Panasonic today announces a new 14.1-megapixel LUMIX DMC-LS5 digital camera that features a high-quality 26mm wide-angle, 5x optical zoom lens. With an incredible F2.8 lens and Optical Image Stabilization, the LUMIX LS5 excels in taking clear photos, even in dimly-lit situations. The LUMIX LS5 also features 720p High Definition video capabilities and runs on AA batteries, perfect for the user who is looking for added convenience. "The LUMIX LS5 is the ideal digital camera for an entry-level user who wants an extremely easy to use digital camera that does not sacrifice image quality," said David Fisher, Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "With top-quality features like HD video and an F2.8 26mm wide-angle lens, the LS5 is giving consumers exceptional performance and value, while being easy-to-use and convenient. By adding a LUMIX model that runs on AA batteries, we are mindful that consumers have different needs and preferences." To further its ease-of-use, the LUMIX LS5 features Panasonic's popular iA (Intelligent Auto mode), which automatically engages the following features, without the user making any setting adjustments: • O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) – Helps reduce blur caused by a shaky hand • Face Detection – Finds human faces to give appropriate focus and exposure • Intelligent Scene Selector – Detects the environment and sets the best shooting parameters based on Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery and Macro The new LUMIX LS5 records HD video in 1280 x 720p at a smooth 30 fps – which is ideal for viewing on a High Definition Television. Users with a VIERA® HDTV, can simply remove the SD Memory Card from the LUMIX and insert it into the built-in SD Memory Card Slot on the VIERA HDTV to enjoy HD videos and photo slideshows. The LUMIX LS5 can also record video in standard VGA (640 x 480) and QVGA (320 x 240). With the included YouTube and Facebook Image uploader, users can easily share their photos and videos via popular social networking sites. The Panasonic LUMIX LS5 will be available in black in November 2011. Pricing will be announced approximately 30 days prior to shipping. For more information about Panasonic LUMIX digital cameras, please visit: www.panasonic.com/lumix. |
| Nissan expands Leaf's US availability, makes seat warmers standard Posted: 20 Jul 2011 09:24 PM PDT Hey Leaf owners -- that's right, all 4,000 of you -- it looks like Nissan took your complaints feedback to heart and is making a few standard additions its EV auto line. Prospective owners of the yet-to-be delivered 2012 models can look forward to the inclusion of a DC fast charge port that'll have your roadster 80 percent juiced in under 30 minutes and some cold weather features -- like heated seats and a battery warmer. The Japanese carmaker also announced plans to expand availability of the auto to Illinois and parts of the southeastern US, and will open reservations to the general public once existing orders are fulfilled. So that's the good, now are you ready for the bad? These electric hatchbacks are getting a new, higher MSRP that takes the SV trim level model to $35,200 and the SL to $37,250. It's an entirely reasonable price to pay for warm buns and, hey, you're saving the planet. Nissan to Launch All-Electric LEAF as Upgraded 2012 Model in New U.S. Markets NASHVILLE, TN UNITED STATES RALEIGH, N.C., July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nissan North America Inc. is expanding availability of the all-electric Nissan LEAF to U.S. consumers for the 2012 model year, with upgrades based on feedback from the thousands of owners who already have driven several millions of miles in the first 100-percent electric car for the mass market. The Nissan LEAF, enriched with additional standard equipment including quick charging and cold-weather features for the 2012 model year, now will be available for order in the Southeastern United States and Illinois. "Many enthusiastic consumers have eagerly anticipated ordering a Nissan LEAF of their own, and now we can make zero-emissions mobility a reality in more markets," said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America. "In response to direct feedback from Nissan LEAF owners, the features that customers want most will come standard on the 2012 Nissan LEAF – including quick charging and cold-weather features." Nissan on July 25 will open up the ordering process to consumers with existing reservations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C. After the prioritized ordering phase for existing reservations in those markets, Nissan on Aug. 4 will open new reservations and orders to the general public, both in these new markets, as well as places where the Nissan LEAF already has been on sale (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington). Expected delivery of the first 2012 Nissan LEAFs will begin in the fall. The MY12 vehicle features product enhancements that incorporate feedback from early LEAF drivers, including standardizing the most popular options. These features include: DC Fast Charge capability standard on Nissan LEAF SL: The vast majority of MY11 consumers have opted for the DC fast charge port, which allows the vehicle to be charged at 480V – reducing charging time to under 30 minutes for charging the vehicle to 80 percent from a fully depleted state. As DC fast charge stations proliferate across the country, Nissan expects this feature to become even more popular. For 2012, fast-charging capability will be standard on the SL trim level. Cold weather features standard on Nissan LEAF: As the Nissan LEAF rolls out to U.S. markets with colder climates, cold weather features become standard equipment on all trim levels of the Nissan LEAF. These include a battery warmer, heated steering wheel, and heated seats in both the front and rear. The manufacturer's suggested retail price of the 2012 Nissan LEAF is $35,200 for the SV trim level, and $37,250 for the SL trim level. The monthly lease price will begin at a highly competitive $369. Nissan will expand into additional new markets as the year continues. In the fall, orders from existing reservations and new reservations will begin in Connecticut, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. By the end of the year, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island will be added as markets where the Nissan LEAF will be available for order. More than 4,000 Nissan LEAFs have been delivered to U.S. customers, and Nissan, as it begins the next phase of the launch, continues to learn from them. While 82 percent have never previously owned a Nissan, a full 75 percent considered no other vehicle than the Nissan LEAF in their purchase decision. On a whole, these early adopters report that they are using the Nissan LEAF as their primary car, and driving it far more than was originally anticipated. These consumers, most of whom are highly educated and have high income levels, are technologically savvy, environmentally conscious, and consider themselves advocates for electric-car technology. |
| Verizon's Xperia Play now on sale for $100, Crash Bandicoot spins in celebration Posted: 20 Jul 2011 08:33 PM PDT  |
| GE's new holographic storage burns 500GB discs at the speed of a Blu-ray Posted: 20 Jul 2011 07:38 PM PDT  20 July 2011 GE Breakthrough in Micro-holographic Storage Technology Supports 500-Gigabyte Disc at Blu-ray Speed Higher recording speed paving the way to commercializing GE's technology GE's micro-holographic material can support on one disc the same storage capacity as 20 standard Blu-ray discs NISKAYUNA, New York, July 20, 2011 – GE Global Research, the technology development arm of the General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), today announced another major breakthrough in the development of next generation optical storage technology. GE's research team has successfully demonstrated a micro-holographic material that can support data recording at the same speed as Blu-ray discs. This result builds upon the April 2009 demonstration of a threshold micro-holographic storage material that can support 500 gigabytes of storage capacity in a standard DVD-size disc. Peter Lorraine, Manager of the Applied Optics Lab at GE Global Research, will discuss the breakthrough during a presentation today at the IEEE's Joint International Symposium on Optical Memory & Optical Data Storage Topical Meeting (ISOM/ODS) being held in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii. The ISOM/ODS brings together the world's foremost experts in optical memory and data storage technologies. GE's breakthrough in recording speed, along with other technical improvements that have been made over the past two years has micro-holographic technology more poised than ever for commercialization. "During the past two years, our research team has been focused on material improvements to increase the recording speed and making other key advances needed to ready GE's micro-holographic technology for market," said Lorraine. "With a speed to match Blu-ray's, discs made from GE's advanced micro-holographic materials are an attractive solution for both archival and consumer entertainment systems." With higher recording speeds required in the professional archival industry, the latest breakthrough by GE researchers will advance the company's interests in commercializing GE's micro-holographic technology in this market space. Lorraine also noted that the breakthrough in recording speed could hasten the entry of GE's micro-holographic technology into the consumer electronics market. Future micro-holographic discs using GE's proprietary material will read and record on systems very similar to a typical Blu-ray or DVD player. In fact, the hardware and formats can be so similar to current optical storage technologies that future micro-holographic players will enable consumers to play back their CDs, DVDs and BDs. In the months ahead, GE's research and licensing teams will be sampling media to qualified companies interested in licensing its proprietary holographic data storage platform, a comprehensive portfolio that includes materials, discs, optical systems for manufacturing and optical drive technologies. "This latest breakthrough in Holographic Data Storage represents a significant step forward on the path to commercializing this technology," said William Kernick, Vice President of Technology Ventures for GE. "We are looking forward to engaging with strategic industry partners to create an exciting new solution in the marketplace." About Holographic Storage Holographic storage is different from today's optical storage formats like DVDs and Blu-ray discs. DVDs and Blu-ray discs store information only on up to four layers at the surface of the disc; holographic storage technology uses the entire volume of the disc material. Holograms, or three-dimensional patterns that represent bits of information, are written into the disc at controlled depths, and can then be read out. Because micro-holographic discs can use the entire volume of the material, their storage capacity is much greater than existing storage technologies today. GE's breakthrough material, when used in a disc, will match the capacity of 20 single-layer Blu-ray discs, 100 DVDs or the hard drive of most laptop computers. GE has been working on holographic storage technology for over eight years. The demonstration of materials that can support 500 gigabytes of capacity and recording at speeds matching today's existing storage technologies are both major milestones. These achievements have been made through the collaborative efforts of a cross-functional team of scientists and engineers from the Applied Optics and Functional Materials labs. Ultimately, the team is working toward micro-holographic discs that can store more than one terabyte, or 1,000 gigabytes of data. While GE is initially focused on the commercial archival industry, recent advancements have its micro-holographic storage technology poised to hit the consumer market. GE's path to market will be to license its technology through multiple partners in the consumer electronics supply chain. GE's Technology Ventures Group is actively exploring potential technology transfer and licensing opportunities. About GE Global Research GE Global Research is the hub of technology development for all of GE's businesses. Our scientists and engineers redefine what's possible, drive growth for our businesses and find answers to some of the world's toughest problems. We innovate 24 hours a day, with sites in Niskayuna, New York; Bangalore, India; Shanghai, China; Munich, Germany; and fifth global research facility to open in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2012. Visit GE Global Research on the web at www.ge.com/research. Connect with our technologists at http://edisonsdesk.com and http://twitter.com/edisonsdesk. About GE Technology Ventures Technology Ventures is dedicated to creating new spaces for GE's technology, driving the commercialization and business development of licensing portfolios for GE in non-core & adjacent markets. With close ties to GE Global Research, Technology Ventures supports the protection, development and marketing of GE's intellectual property on a global level, offering a dynamic combination of investing, licensing, industry and technical expertise. About GE GE is a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media company that is built to meet essential world needs. From energy, water, transportation and health to access to money and information, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.ge.com. GE is Imagination at Work. ### |
| US federal government to close 800 data centers, walk into the cloud Posted: 20 Jul 2011 06:40 PM PDT  [Photo thanks to Adrian Levesque and Adam Koniak.] |
| MIT's Backtalk project / art exhibit traces the unseen life of discarded gadgets Posted: 20 Jul 2011 05:29 PM PDT  Sooner or later, the device you're reading this on will either be sold, donated, recycled or otherwise disposed of; and unless you're particularly nostalgic about old gadgets like us, you likely won't ever give it much more thought. But no matter how you get rid of it, that device doesn't just vanish off the face the Earth. It's that extra life that got the folks from MIT's SENSEable City Lab thinking, and the Backtalk project is what they've come up with. Part research project and part art exhibition (now on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York), the effort involved using GPS tracking devices to trace where things like cellphones, batteries and printer cartridges end up after being discarded -- and, in the case of 40 netbook computers, some tracking software and their built-in webcams, which recorded data and images that were sent back to MIT at regular intervals (with the new owners' consent, of course). Some of the results can be seen in the video after the break and the site linked below, but you'll have to check out the exhibit first-hand to see the full scope of their findings. Uncovering the afterlife of discarded electronics -- In new project on display at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, MIT researchers explore what happens to used electronic devices after they leave our possession ------------------------------------------------------- MIT researchers who have been studying the fate of used and discarded electronics will unveil some of the results of their work in a series of real time visualizations that are part of a new exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. The visualizations shed light on what becomes of the large volumes of electronic refuse that are generated annually, and on the "second life" of used computers that are adopted by new owners. The visualizations, called backtalk, are part of the new exhibition, "Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects," which opens to the public on July 24th. "As our objects, buildings and cities become digitally controlled and 'smarter," they are also being embedded with an increasing amount of electronics," said Carlo Ratti, director of the MIT Senseable City Lab. "But what happens to these electronics once they are discarded? This is what our project set out to explore. Initial results provide an unprecedented glimpse into the global e-waste chain and its patterns of reuse and disposal." As part of their research, the MIT team developed two different types of tracking technologies to follow obsolete electronics as they travel across the world for recycle or reuse. To study reuse patterns, they partnered with several non-governmental organizations who ship used, donated computers from the United States to emerging countries. Refurbished laptops were programmed to detect their own location and capture images using their built in camera. With the consent of their new owners, the data is sent to MIT in real-time and used to construct visual narratives about the computers' "second lives." "The popular notion of the intelligent device usually remains limited to its lifespan as a consumer product," says project leader Dietmar Offenhuber. "However, the digital imprints and histories these devices accumulate often outlast their consumer life." The second part of the visualization on display reveals the traces of e-waste traveling across the United States. The team employed GPS-enabled wireless location trackers to map the movement of batteries, cell phones, printer cartridges, and other devices discarded by volunteers in Seattle, Washington. Results show the journeys undertaken by e-waste, with some items crossing the entire country on their way to recycling facilities. The project raised some important questions, including whether the environmental damage from transportation emissions outweigh the benefits of recycling. "The large volumes of electronic refuse generated annually present both a toxic liability and a potentially valuable resource," said Assaf Biderman, the lab's Associate Director. "One of the consequences of digitizing our everyday objects is that the data they capture provides us with new information about the impact of our actions – from what we consume, to the waste we discard, and to the things we give away." "We can now judge for ourselves if our donated computers really find a new home, or if our e-waste is proving harmful," says David Lee, a programmer for the project. "We can see if our actions truly reflect our best intentions." Collaboration with Qualcomm Incorporated and LG Electronics helped make the global tracking technology project successful. Outreach partners included World Computer Exchange, the Peace Corps, and World Teach. The backtalk team at the Senseable City Lab includes Carlo Ratti, Assaf Biderman, Dietmar Offenhuber, David Lee, Jennifer Dunnam, Paolo Patelli, Aaron Siegel, E Roon Kang, Francesco Pilla, and Douglas Albert. Project website: http://senseable.mit.edu/backtalk |
| Western Digital now shipping 2.5-inch 1TB Scorpio Blue HDD in standard height Posted: 20 Jul 2011 04:46 PM PDT  Be still, our hearts! Could it be? One thousand twenty-four gigabytes of spinning Scorpio Blue fixed disk finally sized for standard height? If you'll recall, the line of laptop-oriented HDDs was bumped up to 750GB way back in 2010, and now Western Digital's shipping its 9.5mm-high 1TB Scorpio Blue HDDs (shortened from 12.5mm). Aside from the storage capacity increase, the dual-platter drive is essentially the same as any other Blue sporting a 5,400 RPM spin-speed and 8MB cache with Advanced Format support. This latest go-getter will be available for the rather reasonable price of $140, but hey, if that SSD-esque Scorpio black's what you're really lusting after, we understand. Full PR after the break. WD® Slims 1 TB Hard Drive to Fit Mainstream Notebooks New 9.5 mm WD Scorpio Blue Mobile Drive Offers Largest Capacity Available for Portable Computing IRVINE, Calif., July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Western Digital® (NYSE: WDC), a leader in the desktop, mobile, high-capacity enterprise and consumer markets for hard drives, today announced that it has commenced volume shipments of its WD Scorpio® Blue™ 9.5 mm, 2.5-inch mobile hard drive with 1 TB capacity. Designed for mainstream notebook computers, the new WD Scorpio Blue 1 TB hard drive utilizes 500 GB-per-platter areal density and is now available in the highest capacity for 2.5-inch hard drives in the industry-standard 9.5 mm, two-platter (2-disk) form factor. WD Scorpio Blue mobile hard drives are designed with ruggedness, reliability and data-protection features that actively watch over valuable data. The WD Scorpio Blue 1 TB mobile hard drive also achieves excellent power and performance, making it an ideal solution for notebook computers and other portable devices that require extended battery life and cool, ultra quiet operation. "With the release of the 1 TB WD Scorpio Blue notebook drive in a 9.5 mm package, WD is able to offer the greatest storage capacity available for use in portable computing environments," said Matt Rutledge, vice president and general manager of Client Storage for WD. "Mobile users no longer need to choose maximum capacity over thin and light, WD is ready with storage options, achieved without compromise to performance and reliability, that prove ideal for mobile digital devices of all kinds including PC and Mac notebook computers; external storage; and digital media players." WD Scorpio Blue Features: Low power consumption – Advanced power management features and algorithms optimize the way the drive seeks for data, which significantly improves power consumption. Cool and quiet - In a notebook drive, silence is golden. WD's exclusive WhisperDrive™ technology yields one of the quietest 2.5-inch hard drives on the market. Reliable – WD's SecurePark™ parks the recording heads off the disk surface during spin up, spin down, and when the drive is off. This ensures the recording head never touches the disk surface resulting in improved long term reliability due to less head wear, and improved non-operational shock tolerance. Shock Tolerant – WD's ShockGuard™ technology, now increased to a best-in-market 400Gs shock specification, protects the drive mechanics and platter surfaces from shocks. Advanced Format (AF) - Technology being adopted by WD and other drive manufacturers to continue growing hard drive capacities. New drives featuring AF are optimized for operation with the following operating system software: Windows® 7, Windows Vista™ and Mac OS X Tiger®, Leopard®, Snow Leopard® (PVT models only). Tested for compatibility - WD performs tests on hundreds of systems and a multitude of platforms in its FIT Lab™ and Mobile Compatibility Lab to give customers confidence that drives will work in specific systems. Price and Availability Shipping now through select distributors and resellers, the WD Scorpio Blue 1 TB (model WD10JPVT) hard drives are covered by a three-year limited warranty and have a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $139.00 USD. More information about the WD Scorpio Blue 1 TB 9.5 mm mobile hard drives may be found on the company's website at: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=140. About WD WD, one of the storage industry's pioneers and long-time leaders, provides products and services for people and organizations that collect, manage and use digital information. The company designs and produces reliable, high-performance hard drives and solid state drives that keep users' data accessible and secure from loss. Its advanced technologies are configured into applications for client and enterprise computing, embedded systems and consumer electronics, as well as its own consumer storage and home entertainment products. WD was founded in 1970. The company's storage products are marketed to leading OEMs, systems manufacturers, selected resellers and retailers under the Western Digital® and WD brand names. Visit the Investor section of the company's website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information. Western Digital, WD, the WD logo and WD Scorpio are registered trademarks in the U.S. and other countries; WD Scorpio Blue, SecurePark, ShockGuard, WhisperDrive and FIT Lab are trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. All other brand and product names mentioned herein are property of their respective companies. As used for storage capacity, one gigabyte (GB) = one billion bytes; one terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment. |
| Hitachi announces high-res 4.5-inch IPS display for smartphones with improved glasses-free 3D Posted: 20 Jul 2011 04:01 PM PDT  There's still no word as to when it might actually land in some phones, but it looks like glasses-free 3D could soon see some improvements courtesy of Hitachi's latest 4.5-inch IPS display. Not only does it boast a high 1280 x 720 resolution, but it uses a less common lenticular lens approach instead of the parallax barrier method used by the likes of the Nintendo 3DS and HTC EVO 3D. According to Hitachi, that allows for some much 3D brighter images than other displays (470 cd/m2, specifically), and images that are actually brighter in 3D mode than in 2D mode. Here's hoping Hitachi shows off a bit more than the image above before too long. |
| Posted: 20 Jul 2011 03:46 PM PDT  Update: As multiple commenters have noted, sideloading the Netflix APK will still work for devices that haven't yet made the list. We were able to confirm the app works fine on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Motorola Xoom, however we're hearing it's not up and running on the Tegra 2-based Transformer just yet. Itching for some Watch Instantly on your Honeycomb tablet? Check XDA-Developers for a download link. Update 2: Alex wrote in to let us know that things are now operational on the Transformer, too. Check out xda-developers for the details. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Currently Netflix playback is supported on the following devices: • Casio G'zOne Commando C771 with Android 2.2 • HTC Droid Incredible • HTC Droid Incredible 2 • HTC EVO • HTC EVO 3D • HTC G2 • HTC Thunderbolt • Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet • LG Revolution • Motorola Atrix • Motorola Droid • Motorola Droid X • Motorola Droid X2 • Motorola Droid 2 • Motorola Droid 3 • Samsung Droid Charge • Samsung Epic 4G • Samsung Galaxy S • Samsung Galaxy S 4G • Samsung Fascinate • Samsung Nexus S • Samsung Nexus S 4G |
| Posted: 20 Jul 2011 02:50 PM PDT  In typically grandiose fashion, the company has declared OS X 10.7 "the world's most advanced desktop operating system," touting the addition of over 250 new features. The list is pretty uneven on the game-changing scale, with updates running the gamut from Airdrop (file-sharing over WiFi) to a full-screen version of the bundled chess game. If there's one thing tying it all together, though, it's something that Jobs touched on when he first unveiled the OS back in October: the unmistakable influence of iOS. Now it's true, we already got a taste of that with gesture-based trackpads and the Mac App Store, but those were merely glimpses of things to come. Apple borrows so heavily from iOS that at times, cycling through features makes the whole thing feel like you're merely operating an iPad with a keyboard attached. There are plenty of welcome additions here, including aesthetic tweaks and attention to mounting privacy concerns. Like Snow Leopard before it, however, Lion is hardly an explosive upgrade. And like Snow Leopard, it comes in at a reasonable $29 (or a decidedly more pricey $69 as an upcoming flash drive install), making it a worthy upgrade for current Mac owners. But does a boatload of evolutionary features add up to a revolutionary upgrade? Let's find out. |
| Intel delivers record earnings yet again in Q2 -- let the boardroom bragging begin Posted: 20 Jul 2011 02:25 PM PDT  We know, you've heard it all before, but the chip maker's once again reporting record revenues, reaching a whopping $13.1 billion in Q2 2011. If you're keeping track, that's up $2.3 billion, or 22 percent, from Q2 2010, and bests last quarter's earnings of $12.9 billion by 2 percent. Net income was up 10 percent year-over-year, but down three percent from last quarter, ringing in at $3.2 billion. As Intel humbly points out, this is the outfit's fifth consecutive quarter of record revenue. So, perhaps a little bit of gloating is in order. |
| Word cloud hack connects to your TV, closed captioning provided by Arduino (video) Posted: 20 Jul 2011 01:59 PM PDT  |
| Galaxy S II expected to land in the US next month, someday, somewhere Posted: 20 Jul 2011 01:26 PM PDT  |
| Mad Catz gears up for Gears of War with branded audio gear... gear. Posted: 20 Jul 2011 01:02 PM PDT    Mad Catz(R) Announces Licensed Gears of War 3 Audio Range at Comic-Con(TM) International 2011 Range Includes Throat Communicator, TRITTON(R) Performance Stereo Headset and TRITTON(R)Dolby(R) 7.1 Surround Sound Headset SAN DIEGO, Jul 20, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. ("Mad Catz") (AMEX/TSX: MCZ) announced today a new range of licensed Gears of War 3 audio products for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft(R), expected to ship alongside the launch of the game in time for the holiday 2011 season. The new product range will be previewed at the Comic-Con International 2011 exhibition and is available for pre-order today. "Gears of War 3 is one of the most anticipated titles arriving for holiday 2011, surpassing 1 million pre-orders to date," said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. "We are convinced that gamers will appreciate the competitive advantage achieved via our high-quality audio products and that the range will be highly sought out this holiday season." Products available as part of the range include the Throat Communicator, the Performance Stereo Gaming Headset and the Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound Headset. Additional information and pre-order information is available at http://store.gameshark.com/GW3 Developed by acclaimed studio Epic Games, "Gears of War 3" launches worldwide on Sept. 20, 2011, and is available for preorder today in three distinct editions - Standard ($59.99 USD), Limited ($79.99) and Epic ($149.99). For additional details on the game, please visit gearsofwar.xbox.com. About Mad Catz Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ) is a global provider of innovative interactive entertainment products marketed primarily under its Mad Catz(R) (casual gaming), Cyborg(TM) (pro gaming), Tritton(R) (gaming audio), Saitek(R) (simulation), and Eclipse(TM) (home and office) brands. Mad Catz also develops flight simulation software through its internal ThunderHawk Studios(TM); operates flight simulation centers under its Saitek brand; operates a videogame content website under its GameShark(R) brand; publishes games under its Mad Catz brand; and distributes games and videogame products for third parties. Mad Catz distributes its products through most leading retailers offering interactive entertainment products and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For additional information please go to www.madcatz.com. Social Media Facebook(R) Page: http://www.facebook.com/MadCatzInc Twitter(R) Page: http://twitter.com/MadCatzInc YouTube(R) Channel: http://www.youtube.com/MadCatzCompany Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360 and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.Epic, Epic Games, Gears of War and Gears of War 3 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Safe Harbor This press release contains forward-looking statements about the Company's business prospects that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information or future events or developments. You can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "should," "plan," "goal," "believe," and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: the ability to maintain or renew the Company's licenses; competitive developments affecting the Company's current products; first party price reductions; the ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; or a downturn in the market or industry. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian Securities Administrators. |
| Olivetti's Olipad 110 and 70 tablets stop by Brazil, say ciao (video) Posted: 20 Jul 2011 12:18 PM PDT Olivetti's no carioca. It's a bonafide Italiano electronics company, but that didn't stop its latest round of tablets from making an appearance south of the equator. Shown off at the 2011 Eletrolarshow in Brazil, the 10-inch Olipad 110 made its second video appearance to strut its sleek NVIDIA Tegra 2-processing, Honeycomb-operating stuff. The successor to the Olipad throne also brought its little brother, the Olipad 70, to the party -- rocking a 7-inch capacitive display, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, WiFi and Bluetooth. Sadly, our penchant for bossa nova does not extend to Portuguese language fluency, so you're on your own after the break. |
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